Refrigerating apparatus



May 1 8 1926.

A. BURR'OWS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 4, 1924 R. w w W.

ATTORNEY.

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EASTMAN BURRWS, OF CHXCGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 LLOYD G, ICDPILMAN' AND EDWIN W. ATWOOD, BOTH 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

.application led April 4,

Thisinvention relates to refrigerator apparatus and has for 'its object a refrigerator apparatus intended primarily for use in apartment buildings. lt is the object of the invention to have a storage tank in the basement or elsewhere containing a eoolingmedium such as ice water. This is pumped at 'measured time intervals through the refrig-` erator boxes in the various apartments. The time interval between the pumpingI operations is adjustable in a very simple manner by means of a bleeding operation from one' chamber ot the'storage tank to the other. By a 'suitable valve the rate of bleed may be V altered to alter the time interval between pumpingy operations.

This bleeding operation which is regulatableby simply turning a valve, forms a -sim-` ple equivalent for clock mechanism to determine the times at which tlre pumping Operations can be carried on. rEhe bleeding operation acts very much in the same Way that an ordinary hour glass does in measuring interiale ot time, Sie far as l'. am aware, a cooling medium has heretofore never been distributed te various points of use by means et a :torcei'nmp centrolled at. measured .intervals, especially when controlled by a bleeding;r operation of a liquid.

' ln the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the apparatus, partly in section someivlmt diagrammatic in nature.

. l? Q is an enlarged vertical section through the tanks and vvalve for controlling the flow.

i designates the water pump driven hy an electric inotor 71', which in turn is controlled liv a switch c automatically actuated in a manner later to be described. The water line r] leads from the pump through the refrigerator boay e and thence through the line f, where it 'discharges into `the larger ice tank 7. f

The large ice tank is divided or partitioned oli.l at one end to form an ice and ice Water chamber /ly and a smaller watcrrhainlier i. These two chambers are connected lufthe pipes j in which a bleeder valve l; is

192e. Serial No. 704,098.

located so that/the ice water may be siphened lfrom the large chamber to the p .decreasing the low of water from the large chamber to the small chamber.

A. float m is located in the smaller chamber, and as the Water is siphoned from the large to the smaller chamber, the Water level in the small chairber will rise and carry l with it the float m. A rod n. is secured to the float and extends upwardly through the rod isthreaded (as shown in Fig. 2) so that the nuts o and p may be adjustably secured near the npperend of this rod. A' switch armv q is provided' with a hole 9' through which the rod n is adapted to be threaded.'

Referring to Fig. 1, I have indicated by a dot and dash line thewater line in the large ice and ice Water chamber as A; the Water level in the small tank before the water is siphoned into it is desi ated B.v As the water is siphoned from the large tank to the smaller tank, the Water level in thesmall tank will rise to a point designated C in Fig. l. During this time the rod n will be pushed upwardly and the nut or collar o will .strike the switch arm` and raise the same to the dotted line position as shown in Fig'. l. This will actuate the switch to close thev currentthroi; gh the motor, thereby starte. ingr the pump in operation. l

A pipe s connects the bottom of the small chamber i to the pump so that as the pumpM is operated it will pump the Water from the small tank into the pipe (.Zpthcnce through the refrigerator box, then through the pipe j into the large ice water Chamber It. The

amount of water that is allowed to flow' through the bleeder valveM is regulated so that the pump will discharge the warover of the tank. The upper end of the" ter from the small chamber z' faster than it l llows in.A In this way the Water level irkthe small chamber is lowered and consequently the float and rod n is also lowered. rhe nut or collar p carried by the rod n is adapted to engage the .switch arm to move the same downwardly, thereby opening the switch and stopping the motor and pump when the water in the small chamber reaches a predetermined level. The cycle ot' ope `ation is now repeated, the water in the large ice chamber being allowed to Siphon into the smaller chamber until the switch is again operated by the raising ot' the water level in the small tank, as has been described.

By adjusting the opening in the blcedcr valve,` the rate of tiow of the 'ater between the two chambers may be increased or decreased depending,l upon the time interval desired. ll it is desired to run the cold water through the retrigerator box Vl'or a longer period ot time, the bleeder valve opening is increased to allow the water to siphon from one tank to the other laster, thereby causing the level o the water in the small tank to low at a slower rate. This will also increase the rate atwhich the water level rises in the smaller tank, thereby decreasing the time interval between the tlushing ot the retrigerator box.

Obviously, a decrease in the amount of water pumped through the box can bc obtained by decreasingl the bleeder valve opening, thereby allowing the water level in the smaller tank to fall more rapidly. This will result in the pumping ol' a smaller quantity ot water through the box since the pump is operated at longer intervals than it was when the blceder valve 'as wide open. It is also evident that when the blceder valve openingr is decreased in size thereby decreasing the tlow ot water therethrough, the small chamber will lill up at a slower rate than when the blceder valve is wide open. Thus, the time between the ilushings of the box is of longer duration.

In this matter any desired adjustment ot' the water llow-can be obtained. A further adjustment is possible by the means of the nuts or collar 0 and y) which ai e adj ustably secured to the end of the rod n. An adjustment of these nuts or collars Yfurther apart, will flush the box for a longer duration ot' time and increase the time interval between the lushings, while the shortening' ot the distance between these two collars will cause the box to be flushed at shorter intervals of time and for shorter periods of time.

Ice` designated t, may be placed in the chamber l1. for cooling the liquid contained therein and for maintaining the said liquor ata low temperature. During the winter, the water from the city mains is sutliciently cold so -as not to require any additional means. I have so connected my refrigerating apparatus to the Water main that by turning t-he valve u ott, the water that is used in the household will be caused to first ow through the renrigeratoi` box for the p' rpose of cooling the same. To do this, I open valves e and -v and close valves fw and ll", thereby causing the water from the water main to liow through the pipe line, a; thence through the pipeline fr, line (Z, thence through the box c and return through the line f and line .e before passing to the service line l.

What I claim is:

1. In a retrigerating apparatus, the coinbination of a refrigerator box, a two-cnamber storage tank containing a cooling medium, a conduit leading from one chamber of the storage tank passing through the refrigerator box and returning to the other chamber of the storage tank. means tor forcing water through said conduit, means tor bleeding y'atei' at, a slower rate of tlow than the 'apacity of said conduittrom one chamber to the other chamber in said storage tank, and means controlled by said bleeding action for governinrT the operation of the means which forces the water through the conduit.

In a refrigerator apparatus, the conibination ot a refrigerator box, a twochamber storage tank containing a cooling medium, a conduit leading from one chamber of the storage tank passing through the refrigerator box and returning to the other chamber of the storage tank, means for foreing water through said conduit, adjustable means l'or bleeding water at ditlerent rates of How but less than the capacity of the conduit from one chamber to the other chamber in said storage tank, and means controlled by said bleeding action itt governing the operation otl the means which forces the water through the conduit.

ln a rel'rigerating apparatus, the combination ot a refrigerating box, an ice tank partitioned so as to form two chambers lor holding a cooling liquid, one of which has a larger capacity than the other, means connecting the two chambers whereby the liquid may flow from the larger to the smaller chamber to raise the level ot the liquid therein, a pipe line connected to the smaller chamber leading through the box and discharging into the large chamber, a pump for promoting circulation through said pipe line which luis a capacity greater than that of the comiectinf;` means between the two chambers, a motor for driving said pump, a switch for controlling the motor, and means contained within the small chamber engaging with the switch, .'hereby the motor will shut ott' when the water level in the small chamber reaches a predetermined low level, and which will allow the level of the liquid in the smaller chamber to again rise.

Ll. In a retrigerating apparatus, the com-v bination ot a refrigerating box, an ice tank partitioned otl so as to :form two chambers for holding c, cooling liquid. i I siphonmgseid :cooling liquid chercher tor' chamber force rho for conoce ich' seid doeii anisrn whercb rharcher.

par-eins, the conihination of reihig loing box, en ice tenis paritioned io .in one large chamber end a sinoller chamber, seid chambers adagio ed ro hold e. cooling liquid, .ineens for bleed ing seid liquid from the large chamber to the smaller chamber al; a rele-.tively slow speed, o pipe line connecing; with the smaller cheinber leading ihrough the box and die chergin i nioor Jor promoting circulation through 'pipe having o, greater capziciiy 'iban @he .ineens for ble' ing the liquid from one charm ber io he other, a switch for controlling said inoror and pump, a float loceed the smaller cl ober, a rod connecied thcreo, ile ineens carried by said rod ille switching mecl'laniein switch off or on as the small chamber lowers or for celu waaier level in the rises.

'6. ln a. reir: rating epperutus. the coin-- binaiion oi"- e refrigeraiing box, an ice 'tank adapted io hold cooling liquid, said tunic divided into 'i o chambers one of which is smaller chan iheoiher, si phoning' means conmeeting the two chambers whereby the liquid in the large chamber may be siphoned info the smaller chamber, e blceder valve connec'ced wih said siphoning means for controlling'4 che iiow of water therethrough, e. pipe line connececl to ihe said smaller chamber leading rcrough the box and dischargingJ in'ro the large chamberI a pump for forcing the cooling liquid roni'the smaller chambei' into che pipe line, means for actuating seid pump, and means for shutting oli the pump when che-liquid level in the small rank reaches :i prcdetern'iined point.

7. ln a reifrigerating apparatus, tie combination of a refrigeration box, a tank for holding a cooling liquid, said tank ldivided into two'chambers, e pipe line lending from one chamber hrough the box and discharging into the other chercher, means for bleede other, pipe line yhe'vhlg fr grenier 'capacity chen *che ineens for Siphon y .i the large chamber, a. pump and ing ehe liquid from the one :chambervto the@ i `other chamber and including a bleeder valyej for adjusting the flow therefor, n pump for, pumping the liquid from .the one chamber v o che pipe line, means for operating thel seid Aump, e. float contained within saidL. chem erede. ted to rise andv fall as the level g .i of chel liqui( in the said chamber rises and" falls, e rod connected to said loat, collars adjustably secured on theend of said rod end spaced apart, and e switchmechanism for controlling the operation of said pump ng means including a switch arm proa hole, seid rod adapted to be rer-ceded through said hole, the said collars 30 pceiiioned on eil-ber side oi seid switch arm adapted to engage said swich erm, vichy the swimh erm is actuated as the l level of the smaller tank rises or falls.

lfn a refrigereting apparatus, the com- 95 bination of a reirigereting box, a storage perfiiioned oil so es 'to form two cham bers fior holding ai cooling liquid, means for bleeding lche cooling liquid from one chamber ro the ozher at a relatively slow speed, .e pipe line connecting one chamber, leading ihrough the box and discharging into che other chambernnd having e greater capacity than he Ineens 'or bleeding the liquid from one chamber to the other, a pump and motor for 'promoting circulation throu h said pipe linee switch for controlling sai pump and motor, and means contained within the chamber which discharges into the pipe line adcped to engage the switching mechanism :t olling the operation of the pump ier, whereby the same is turned oil' or cn es the water level in said discharging clunnber reaches the predetermined low or high levels.

9. ln a. refrigereting apparatus, the coin-l binaton ci' e rorrigeretm bor, a storage leuk partitioned olf so as to, crm two chambers adapted to hold a cooling liquid, one of which is smaller iban the other, means for siphoning the liquid from the large chamber to the smaller chamber, a pipe line connecting with the smaller chamber leading through the box and discharging into the larger chamber, means for forcing the coo1. ing liquid from the/smaller chamber into the pipe line and circulating thesametherei'hrough, and a, valve for controlling `che flow oi liquid from the largo to the small o chamber whereby the time required for dis- 10 charging the cooling liquid from the smaller chamber may be increased or decreased thereby forcing a greater or smaller quantity of cooling liquid through the box.

l0. in a refrigerator apparatus,the com binaion of a refrigerating box, two chambers, one a storage chir nber for a cooling medium and the other a ,charge accumulating chamber, a, bleeding cdnduit lconnecting the storage chamber with the charge accumulating chamber, means for controlling the rate of bleeding, a conduit leading from the said charge accumulating chamber through the refrigerator box and returning the cooling medium to the storage chamber, a pump connected therewith for circulatmg the cooling medium thercthru, and means associated with the charge accumulating chamber and governed by the coolingT mcdium level therein for controlling the op: 10

eration of the pump, whereby the cooling medium'is only at variable periods used for heat exchange in the conduit through the refrigerator' box.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my 15 signature.

EASTMAN A. BURROWS. 

